Calf fetal extractor



y 7, 1957 M. c. BOWIE CALF FETAL EXTRACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 1955 J7. C. Bowie INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

May 7, 1957 M. c. BOWIE CALF FETAL. EXTRACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1955 Q N% L w m mm om INVENTOR ATTORNEYS CALF FETAL EXTRACTOR Moraine C. Bowie, Lake City, Iowa Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,283

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-352) This invention relates to a device for assisting in the delivery of a calf.

It is well known that at the time of delivery of a calf by a cow, if the calf is not normally positioned considerable difiiculty is encountered in the delivery of the calf and frequently the calf is born dead, because of the difiiculties encountered in the birth of the calf.

Where the calf is not normally positioned, and the birth is not normal, a veterinary uses an instrument to assist in the delivery of the calf. This instrument provides the necessary traction whereby the calf may be pulled, but in instruments which are at present available, conditions frequently arise whereby the delivery of the calf is delayed for a suflicient time so that the calf will die during the delivery operation.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a traction device which will permit the removal of the calf from the cow and which will also permit instant release of pressure on the calf during the delivery operation so that the calf may breathe.

A further object of this invention is to provide an instrument for use by a veterinary obstetrician which can be operated with sufficient speed, which speed is of i the essence in the delivery of a live calf.

A further object of this invention is to provide an instrument of this kind which can be easily cleaned and disinfected, and which is constructed to last an indefinite period.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a calf extractor constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary and longitudinal section of the device.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the device partly in section.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a substantially U-shaped base member which is adapted to be disposed into contact with a leg or other portion of the cow. The base member 10 is formed of opposite legs 11 and a bight 13. A flexible chain or member 12 is adapted to engage about the leg of the cow so that the base member 10 will be further held in the desired position. The legs 11 of the base member '10 are flared Patented May 7, 1957 outwardly so that the leg or hip portion of the cow will engage therebetween. The base member 10 has fixed to the bight 13 thereof, a boss 14 and a tubular guide 15 is fixed at its forward end within the boss 14. An elongated rod 16 is disposed within the tube or guide 15 and is provided along the length thereof with a series of spaced openings 17 through which a locking pin 18 is adapted to engage. The guide 15 is formed with a series of spaced apart openings 19 through a selected one of which the locking pin engages, so that the rod 16 may be extended outwardly from or extended into the guide 15 for the desired distance.

A relatively short tube 20 engages about the outer portion of rod 16 and tube 20 has fixed thereto and spaced therefrom a frame generally. indicated at 21, which is secured to tube 20 by means of a pair of outwardly projecting plates 22. The frame '21 is formed of a pair of parallel bars 23 having upwardly converging portions 24 which are fixed between the plates 22. The parallel bars 23 also include forwardly converging ends 25 which are fixed between the ends 26 of a'reverted guide 27. A winding drum 28 is rotatable .on a'shaft 29 which extends between the bars 23 and the drum 28 in-'' cludes a toothed ratchet 30 at one end thereof. A forked lever 31 is rockable on the shaft 29 and lever 31 has a pawl 32 rockably' mounted on a pin 33 extending between the arms of the lever 31. The pawl 32 engages the ratchet 30 and constitutes the operating pawl for rotating the winding drum 28 in a direction to wind a cable or flexible member 34 thereabout. The cable or flexible member 34 loosely engages through the guide 27 and has a hook 35 disposed on the forward end thereof which is adapted to engage the chain which is wrapped about the legs or other portion of the calf. A shield 36 engages about the lower portion of the winding drum 28 and is formed with upwardly projecting ears 37 fixed by fastening means 38 to the outer sides of the frame bars 23. The shield 36 has fixed to the inner side thereof a U-shaped resilient member 39 engaging about the lower portion of the drum 28 between the ends of the drum so that the windings of the cable 34 will not become snagged, particularly when the device is released, as will be hereinafter described.

The tube 20 is held against movement relatively to the rod 16 by means of a locking member 40 which is fixed to a pivoted lever 41. The lever 41 ispivoted between the plates 22 and is constantly urged to locking position by means of a spring 42. A drum holding pawl 43 is pivotally mounted between the bars 23 and is constantly urged to ratchet engaging position by means of a spring 44. The pawl 43 has an arm 45 extending therefrom with which the spring 42 engages so that the two springs 42 and 44 will cooperate to lock the lever 41 with pin or locking member 40 in locked position and hold pawl 43 in ratchet engaging position.

In order to provide an instant release of pulling strain on cable 34, I have provided a locking pin releasing member 46 which is slidable in a guide 47 fixed to the frame 21. The releasing member or pin 46 is formed with a head 48 at its lower end engageable with the lever 41 so that when pin 46 is moved downwardly lever 41 will be rocked to release locking member 40 from rod 16. Movement of pin 46 to a released position is efiected by engagement of pin 46 with a longitudinally arcuate arm or lever 49 extending upwardly from pawl 32. The arm 49 terminates in a straight upper end portion 50 which is adapted to engage that portion of lever 31 at the junction between the forked portions thereof.

Operating pawl 32 is constantly urged to ratchet engaging position by means of a spring 51 and pawl 32 may be manually locked in released position by means of a resilient member 52 which is fixed at one end to arm 49 and extends downwardly adjacent a stop pin 53 which is fixed to the inner side of one arm of lever 31. A pawl locking lever 54 is pivotally mounted on an arm of lever 31 in a position to engage resilient member 52 so as to rock the latter at its free end towards the abutment or pin 53 and thereby apply resilient pressure on arm 49 to resiliently hold pawl 32 in ratchet disengaging position. A forked pulling member 55 having a handle or grip member 56 secured therebetween, is pivotally secured on a pivot pin 57 extending through the rear of the frame 21. This grip member '56 provides a means whereby the frame 21 may be held in one hand in an operating position while the rock lever 31 is being rocked by another hand so as to wind the cable 34 about the drum 28. e

In the use and operation of the device, the chain 2.2 is extended about the desired portion of the cow with the base member abutting against the rear of a hip. The guide in extended rearwardly and hook 35 is engaged with the chain which is extended about the legs or other portion of the calf prior to the delivery of the latter. The rod 16 is extended outwardly a sufiicient distance so that a substantial length of cable 34 will be initially unwound from the drum 28. Lever 31 is rocked so as to wind drum 28 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings so that cable 34 will be wound about drum 28.

In the event that during the extraction of the calf the pulling strain must be released so as to permit the calf to breathe, the release can be instantly effected by rocking of lever 41 downwardly and upwardly until lever 49 strikes releasing pin 46. At this time pin 40 will be released from rod 16, the latter having a notch 58 forming a keeper with which pin or dog 41 normally engages. At the same time that lever 41 is rocked to a release position, so that tube may slide further on rod 16, dog 32 will be swung to a released position with respect to ratchet 30 and pawl or dog 43 will be swung downwardly and outwardly to a release position by engagement of pawl 32 with an adjustable bolt 59 which is threaded into pawl or dog 43.

Traction may be resumed by pulling the frame 21 outwardly so that locking member or dog 40 will engage in keeper 58, whereupon lever 31 may be rocked to unwind or additionally wind cable 34 on drum 28.

What is claimed is:

1. A calf extractor comprising an elongated extensible member, means attaching one end of said member to a cow, a drum carrying frame, releasable locking means securing said frame to the other end of said member, a

winding drum carried by said frame, a flexible member wound about said drum, a rock lever carried by said frame, a spring pressed pawl carried by said lever, a ratchet fixed to said drum engageable by said pawl, and means carried by said frame engageable with said locking means for releasing the latter upon rocking of said lever in one direction.

2. A calf extractor comprising an elongated extensible member, means attaching one end of said member to a cow, a drum carrying frame, means loosely mounting said frame on the other end of said member, a winding drum carried by said frame, releasable locking means, locking said frame on said member, a drum rotating lever carried by said frame, a ratchet fixed relative to said drum, a pawl carried by said lever engaging said ratchet, a drum holding pawl carried by said frame engaging said ratchet, a lock releasing member carried by said frame, an arm carried by said first named pawl engageable with said lock releasing member whereby to release the latter, said holding pawl including a projection engageable by said first named pawl to effect disengagement of said holding pawl with said ratchet when said frame is released.

3. A calf extractor comprising a drum frame, a supporting member for said frame, means releasably mounting said frame on said member, a drum rotatably carried by said frame, a cable about said drum, winding means for said drum including a ratchet fixed relative to said drum, a rock lever, a pawl carried by said lever engaging said ratchet, and means carried by said lever engageable with said frame for disengaging said pawl from said ratchet.

4. A calf extractor comprising a drum frame, a supporting member for said frame, means releasably mounting said frame on said member, a drum rotatably carried by said frame, a cable about said drum, winding means for said drum including a ratchet fixed relative to said drum, a rock lever, a pawl carried by said lever engaging said ratchet, a holding pawl carried by said frame, and means simultaneously effecting release of both of said pawls from said ratchet and release of said mounting means from said supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

